Student Stars

Trio recognized at Eagle Scout Court of HonorBoy Scout Troop 63, sponsored by Moline United Methodist Church, recognized three of its scouts in an Eagle Scout Court of Honor held April 13.

Warren Sass, John (JP) Horvat and Kevin Delvecchio earned their Eagle Scout rank in 2012 and were presented their Eagle Scout Awards during the ceremony.

Warren, son of Jim and Linda Sass, of Northwood, earned Eagle ranking May 16, 2012. He earned 30 merit badges and completed an Eagle Project that involved refurbishing the walkway entrance and landscaping to the St. Jerome Community Center in Walbridge. A graduate of Northwood High School, he is a member of Venture Crew 63.

JP, son of John and Dawn Horvat, of Northwood, earned Eagle honors Dec. 19, 2012. He earned 25 Merit Badges. His Eagle Project involved erecting a Veteran’s Memorial at Veteran’s Park in Walbridge. JP is also a member of the Order of the Arrow and Venture Crew 63. He attends Lake High School and Penta Career Center.

Kevin, son of Rick and Pam Delvecchio, of Walbridge, earned Eagle honors Dec. 19, 2012. He earned 31 Merit Badges and his Eagle Project involved building four picnic tables at the John T. Kennedy Memorial Park in Jerusalem Township. Kevin is also a member of the Order of the Arrow and Venture Crew 63. He attends Cardinal Stritch High School.

The boys extended thanks to their parents, Scoutmaster Jack Bohland, Assistant Scoutmasters Rick Young and Rick Delvecchio and Committee Chairman David Boss.

First Penta students inducted into Technical Honor SocietyFor the first time in the history of Penta Career Center, students were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) during a special ceremony held April 16, at the school.

This year. 27 students were honored for their career-technical achievements. The NTHS is similar to the National Honor Society at comprehensive high schools where students are recognized for scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Membership in the NTHS at Penta requires students to maintain excellent attendance, good behavior and a 3.5 grade point average. In addition, inductees must meet the seven attributes of NTHS (skills, honesty, service, responsibility, scholarship, citizenship, and leadership).

(L-R) Ciara Strayer (Genoa), Ryan DeVincent (Oak Harbor) and Sara Mendoza (Lake) were among 27 students inducted into Penta Career Center's National Technical Honor Society on April 16.

For the past few years, a committee of Penta staff members has been preparing to establish a NTHS to recognize student achievement and leadership.

“This is a great opportunity for Penta to honor our students,” said Mindy Phillips, instructor of Math and one of the advisors for NTHS. “We are also pleased that the students are still eligible to apply for membership in the National Honor Society at their member schools. The NTHS is just another way for students to be recognized at Penta for their career-technical achievements.”

During the ceremony the following students were inducted as officers into the NTHS at Penta: Cassie Kaptur (Anthony Wayne), president; Evan Deniston (Eastwood), vice president; and Jasmyne Brewer (Eastwood), secretary.

Each NTHS inductee received a membership certificate, pin, window decal, a seal for their high school diploma, and a white tassel to be worn during graduation. Senior inductees also received a cord that they will wear for graduation.

The NTHS was founded in 1984 in Spartanburg County, S.C. Today, the NTHS serves thousands of schools across the United States.

Scholarship awardedLogan Taylor, of Northwood, has been awarded the 2013 Mrs. Mahaney Scholarship in the amount of $275.

The scholarship is given in memory of Mrs. Paulette Mahaney, who taught many years at Lake Local Schools.

The award was open to any of Mrs. Mahaney’s former students who are graduating from Lake Local Schools this year and will go on to attend college. The recipient was selected by considering high school GPA, extracurricular activities, leadership positions held and a response to a short essay question.

Taylor plans to continue her education at Bowling Green State University.

Penta Seniors RecognizedPenta Career Center held its annual Academic Achievement Award ceremony Thursday, April 25, in the school’s Susor Auditorium.

The awards are presented to seniors who achieve excellence in their academic studies by maintaining a 3.25 grade point average for the first three quarters of the school year.

Special guest speaker at the ceremony was Dr. Mike Bower, president of Owens Community College. During the ceremony, award recipients received a pin and a certificate for their accomplishment. The award pins for the students are sponsored by Toledo Building Services.

Honors students present workOwens Community College showcased their research and creative work in multiple disciplines at the third annual Honors Program Symposium and Medallion Ceremony held April 12.

Owens students presenting papers and their topics included:• Andrew Hartke, of Oregon (To Greece and Back);

• Ricky Slater of Genoa (What You C.E.E.);

• Nicole Drake of Pemberville (Reflective Thoughts: The Experience of a Formal Introduction to Critical Thinking);

• Carrie Lee of Oak Harbor (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with a Focus on the Significance of the 101 Verses); (Proto Oncogenes and Oncogenes in Relation to Cancer) and (Using Bacteria as a Possible Treatment for Cancer).

In addition to the oral presentations and panel discussions, the Honors Program recognized students for educational success and leadership with the presentation of the Honors Program medallion. Among the honorees was Nichole Aldrich, of Gibsonburg.

TSA senior wins prestigious writing medalRachel Bodnar, a senior music major at Toledo School for the Arts, won a silver medal scholarship from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her short story, “The Man with the Hole in His Face.” The story is about the power of kindness, letting go of selfishness and human dignity.

The weekend of TSA’s graduation, Bodnar will be in New York City attending a May 31 Awards Ceremony at Carnegie Hall.

Bodnar attended Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools through junior high. She will attend BGSU, where she will major in journalism.

Kappa Beta Delta honoreesOwens Community College students and a faculty member were recently honored for their academic accomplishments in business, earning membership into the Kappa Beta Delta International Honor Society.

Kappa Beta Delta was established in 1997 as an international honor society exclusively for Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accredited two-year business programs.

Among the student inductees were Lynne Long of Walbridge, Sarah Soncrant of Northwood and Tonya Young of Elmore.